The invention relates to the field of friction reduction and positive feedback in the context of control systems for use in machines that have at least two working surfaces. Such control elements are used to send electrical impulses to control elements such as transducers, which impart vibratory motion to bearings and similar mechanical devices where there is a need to reduce friction between two working surfaces. The invention may be used to reduce friction in the axle wheel bearing system in automotive vehicles but is not limited to rotational devices.
The method includes a feedback control system for use in reducing the amount of friction between two surfaces as well as vastly changing the character of the movement of the two objects as they interact. The system does this by means of a device such as a transducer that will induce sympathetic vibrations in either one or both of the working surfaces.
The method is likely to find use in the field of automotive wheel bearings where a piezo electric transducer or a similar apparatus is used to vibrate each of the wheel bearings in a vehicle at a certain resonant frequency. This will reduce the effect of friction encountered among the wheel bearing and axle as well as improve performance of the automotive propulsion system in general.
It is observed that when certain naturally occurring forces oppose one another in nature sometimes very unexpected results may occur. For example, if two tectonic plates collide with one another over a period of years,
It has been observed that a few of the rocks generated from such collisions may wind up many miles away from where the collision took place. This would be many miles away from where the vast majority of rocks lie (say for example 95% of the rocks are within one mile of the collision zone). For example, if two tectonic plates collide with one another over a period of years, a small mountain would be formed having slopes littered with fragmentary rocks of many sizes and shapes. During the continual shaping of the earth""s crust an avalanche occurs causing those rocks to tumble down the slope and coming to rest on a more level area. With our present methods of calculating mass, momentum and gravity, we could estimate where the majority of the rocks would come to rest. That is not always the case, however. A number of areas have shown those rocks have come to rest four to five times further than estimated. This is more or less an unexpected result.
It may be conjectured from such examples there may have occurred certain sympathetic vibrations that are set up in the rocks themselves as they tumble and then are reflected back, by the earth in what would be referred to as xe2x80x9ctremors.xe2x80x9d The tremors would act as sympathetic vibrations, which would be positive feedback (or constructive interference) to the moving rocks. The positive feedback would cause them to move much further than we would expect if say, we were to measure the momentum of the falling rock at some point in its travel and by that method determine the final resting place of the stone.
In the present application an on-board computer or similar control device may be used in connection a vehicle propulsion system of an automotive or automotive type vehicle. The computer will send constantly changing frequencies of electronic signals to a number of transducers. Each of the transducers is in connection with a wheel of the vehicle. The computer will include sensing and monitoring equipment that will measure certain parameters of the axle and bearing of each wheel. Then, in turn, change the frequency sent to each transducer that is in connection with each wheel in order to maintain those parameters or else to find what parameters make the auto run most efficiently. It is believed that the friction encountered by such parts can be reduced by vibrating and providing positive feedback to those parts of the vehicle that encounter rotary motion throughout different operating speeds of the vehicle. It is believed that such a control system using transducer elements is novel and certainly non-obvious.
The controlling means will, through the use of sensors and a feedback loop, be constantly trying to send a sympathetic frequency to the working surface of the bearing, in this case. A sympathetic frequency is achieved when the feedback circuit indicates this area to be vibrating in resonance, or operating with the least friction. When resonance is reached, a form of positive feedback is introduced to the working surface, further reducing friction.
As resonance occurs with positive feedback, the engine will require the least amount of power to maintain the present speed of travel. The controller is constantly changing frequencies to each of the working surfaces maintaining resonance, and we believe fuel consumption will be reduced at almost any vehicle speed.
It is believed that the idea of imparting vibratory motion to mechanical elements is novel and non obvious. Such vibrations may impart certain characteristics to the elements such as bearings and axles, that can decrease the amount of friction experienced by the elements.
While there are transducers that have been used in the field of automobiles, there are none that have been used to regulate a system that is designed to reduce friction through the vibration of a wheel bearing that is in connection with the axle. None of the prior art uses transducers as a means to vibrate a bearing in order to reduce friction at the point of contact between the bearing and the axle.
A system for enhancing the performance of machines that have an interface between at least two working surfaces. Included would be rotating elements found in wheeled vehicles where a bearing or similar device secures a rotating axle. The invention includes a controller means, such as an on-board computer, that imparts certain vibratory motion to, in this case, the rotating elements in the system. In the invention, control signals are sent from the controller to at least one of the parts in the system.
The controller means may vary the vibrating frequency of the transducer in order to control vibratory motion applied to at least one of the elements in such a system. There are sensors in connection with the controller that will report back certain operating parameters of the automobile (or any unit with at least two working surfaces) and the controller will monitor these feedback loops for specific values. The controller means will either raise or lower the frequency to the transducer until the loop back circuit returns a specific value. When a specific value from the loop back circuit is reached, the unit will be operating at the most efficient level.
The transducer device may be used to vibrate the working surface or bearings in wheeled vehicles. There will be, preferably, one transducer for each axle bearing in the vehicle. In the case of a long flat working surface, many transducers, appropriately spaced, would be used to produce the vibratory motion desired.
The transducer will control the bearings in such a manner as to impart vibratory motion to the element. Such motion may have a frequency and amplitude characteristic to it. And such characteristic may be measured and recorded by the controller element of the system. The controller element will vary the signal sent to the transducer until a specific value is returned to the controller via the loop back circuit.
It is among the objects of the invention to establish the method of reducing friction between two working surfaces by vibrating one or both surfaces. An electronic controlling unit may impart analog or digital signals to a transducer device that converts electrical impulses to mechanical vibration. The amplitude and frequency of these electrical impulses will be constantly changing until a specific value is returned to the controller via the loop back circuit.
Other objectives of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art once the invention has been described.